Wrong Side of the Tracks
by disorientedStantler
Summary: You knew him from high school, but never imagined he would become the leader of an insidious gang that dealt drugs and ran Alola rampant with petty crime. You grew up on the right side of the tracks, surrounded by rich peers in prep-school uniforms. He was from the South Side, a broken family life and trips to the food bank on the weekend.
1. Big Bad Guzma, to the Rescue

**Party tonight at my place! Parents are gone for the weekend!**

The facebook status already has 78 likes on it. You stare at it across the screen, sitting in the highschool's library where you were supposed to be studying for your pre-cal test. Biting down on your pencil, you click on Hau's message box and type out a reply

You: _Isn't your Grandpa gonna be pissed?_

Hau: _Grandpa who? The dudes on a fishing trip. C'mon it'll be fun! Captain of the volleyball team is gonna be there. If I'm not mistaken, weren't you and him caught making out in the changing rooms last week?_

He sent a winky face after that, making you blush and your pencil drops noisily. A girl next to you shushes you angrily.

It's Friday evening, school had just finished but you decided to stay back to do some studying. You'd be attending the prep school, St. Arceus' since middle school, deemed the most prestigious in the region. Bring top rated and with many student head-hunted after graduation, many rich families boarded their kids here in preparation for law, medicine or engineering. The price was a heafty 40K a year, but it was nothing compared to your parents combined salaries: pocket change. Luckily for you, your family decided to move here from Kanto many years ago to reduce your mental stress. In the world of Pokémon, it was common for people to either go to University or start their Pokémon training; both a diploma and license ended up costing roughly the same, although training Pokémon and making enough money at it was somewhat of a gamble. Your parents had deterred you from it at a young age, as it was decided to be too risky for the inheritance to assuringly be passed on.

You mulled over the thought of a party briefly. How many more opportunities would you have, while graduation was quickly approaching and your youth fleeting? You decided that the days were getting shorter and you weren't going to be a teen forever.

Shutting your NacBook Pro, you pack up your belonging and exit the library, the girl next to you giving another loud "SHH!" as the door accidentally slams behind you. She was the only one left in there.

o o o

While walking home, you had texted the groupchat inviting all the girls to your place to get ready for Hau's event.

A few hours later, you're blasting music in your room with the girls, including your best friend, Lillie. She was the daughter of the Aether Paradise Foundation's founders, as well as heir to the company. She had been homeschooled all her life along with her younger brother, but for the sake of tending to the company, her mother decided to board her children at St. Arceus'. She was a beautiful young girl, with grace and perfectly domesticated, albeit naive. That aside, you're laughing, drinking some cola and one of your pals is rummaging through your closet looking for a pair of heels to borrow.

"I hear rumours that Souths Side is coming as well," one of your girlfriends chimes into your conversation, as you curl Lillie's hair. All the attention snaps on her.

"Yo, aren't those dudes, like, druggies?" one girl pipes in. She was doing her mascara before she turned to the one holding her phone up.

"Yep! Check it out! Guzma even posted this on his Instaglam!" she holds out her iPhone, the screen showing a big pile of some sort of dried green herbs, with the caption being dollar bill emojis. You crinkle your nose. Weed was illegal, you thought in disgust. How his parents let him have it was beyond your comprehension. But more importantly, why was she following Guzma on Instaglam...?

Your house was on Dougald Road, in the ritzy neighborhood of Elm Bay, by the ocean overlooking the mainland of Unova on the distant horizon. You'd lived on this island your whole life, in this beautiful modern house your parents bought to celebrate their marriage. Your mom was a real estate agent that sold multi-million dollar homes and your father an engineer. He had been the main project builder for on of the most extravagant bridges spanning near Iki Town, skyrocketing tourism after it's initial reveal date. Your life was relatively peaceful; vacations every winter to Sinnoh ski slopes, and in the summer your family visited the estate in Johto. Although you were an only child, your mother and father gave you strict responsibilities, such as paying off your joint-credit card on time, cleaning the house, and occasionally taking your pet Meowth for a walk.

Along with your enrollment at St. Arceus', you were active in the leadership committee, the cheerleading team on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, along with your private tutoring once a week for your AP chemistry class. You were not about to go to a party with weed, you thought distastefully.

"Are you kidding? That public school is coming to our party, with the promise of marijuana? Hau won't allow it," you spit the word marijuana like venom and scoff, accidentally pulling Lillie's platinum hair, who squeaked in protest. Your three friends turn to you, frowning.

"Hau has a crush on one of the girls there. He'll probably be all sad if you don't come, anyways. You wouldn't want him to be too upset that that girl would pass him up, would you?" one of your friends asks, a fake pout on her lips.

"Oh whatever," you frown, "like she'd turn Hau down. No matter how pudgy or homely he is, he's already been headhunted at Parterre Way University in Kalos, he's gonna make big bucks one day. A girl would be daft to turn him down," you say with your nose in the air, and your friends burst out laughing.

"So, what if the volleyball team captain is going?"

That catches your attention, but you fake interested as you finish up the last curl in Lillie's hair.

"C'moooooon (y/n), a little bit of weed can't make you not go to a party! Loosen up a bit! Say what, I'll even let you borrow my Praba bag for tonight," your friend pulls out her new purse, cream coloured and gold accents. Your eyes light up and sparkle at the designer bag. You can't resist.

"Fine. Throw the Louis Vichon shoes in as well," you add, standing up. Your friends exchange looks with each other.

"This doesn't even make sense, but sure,"

You smile, and begin your transformation from innocent-student-in-plaid-uniform to is-it-even-legal-for-a-seventeen-year-old-to-look-like-that.

o o o

You lead your friends to Hau's front door. You decided on a little black dress, hair flowing down over your shoulders, and of course the Praba bag and Louis Vichon heels, signature red sole and everything. You contrasted Lillie quite well; she is wearing pastel blues including a mini skirt.

The lit-up house is a three stories tall, wooden and surrounded by palms and a front garden. You can hear the music thumping already, even before you approach the front door. You ring the bell.

Hau lurches it open, nearly falling over in the process. He's dressed in slacks and a polo, a red-solo cup precariously swinging in his hands. The smell of brandy fills your nostrils, no doubt his father's import.

He slurs your name loudly, having to catch himself on the door frame. "So glad you came!" You didn't quite picture Hau being a sloppy drunk by 8 pm.

The door opens wider before you, and you gather the scene in. There are people everywhere, all holding red solo cups filled with imported liquors or bottles of expensive craft beer. The stairs leading up to the second floor have people sliding down the railings, and in the living room a table has been set up for beer pong. You can see two girls shaking their asses in the corner of your eye, and a few couple grinding on each other or making out. The music is a deafening beat, from the sounds of it some sort of rap or rnb. Bost Nalone, probably. He was popular on the mainland, which usually carried over to the islands eventually.

The house party was already so lively. Tonight was going to be incredible, you smile in excitement.

"Of course, Hau! I couldn't miss out on this!" you say sweetly, patting his shoulder. You could feel your friends glower at you from behind, their gazes burning at your back. Weren't you just trying to back out less than an hour ago...?

He lets you step through, and immediately multiple pairs of eyes land on you, including the captain of the volleyball team, who had just successfully tossed a pingpong in a cup. He smirks at you as his friends leap around him yelling in celebration, and he takes a swig from his cup. Then he winks and you feel your cheeks burn up furiously.

"Looks like you're already reeled the Gyarados in," Lillie smirks and elbows your side. You swallow, and decide to toss your hair in an attempt to look passive. "Everyone says you'd make a cute couple!" she adds, leaning in for your reaction. Lillie was deemed the matchmaker in your group of friends, although she never seemed to have much luck with boys herself...

Brushing her teasing aside, you make your way to the bar and pour a line of shots for you and your friends.

As the alcohol settles warmly in your stomach, you notice Hau has began letting people into his pool and hot tub outside. You wistfully wish you brought a bathing suit, but apparently missed the memo. A shame too, you just bought a new swim piece.

You push your way towards the kitchen, where Hau was currently unpacking a platter of hor d'oeurves. "Hey, is it true you invited the South Side?" you ask, eying a piece of avocado sushi.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah," he smiled his usual toothy grin, "I thought it would be a great idea! You know, making friends with the less fortunate and stuff. It'll bring our community together!"

You nod slowly, disregarding his classist remark. You pick up the piece of sushi before making your exit to locate Lillie. Hau was known for being friendly, not necessarily wise.

"Hey Lillie, what do you think about the South Side coming?" You find her lounging with some wine in her hand, surrounded by the socialites.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for them! You know, eating food that isn't cheetos or a party in a basement," she smiles, the socialites nodding in agreement.

As if on cue, a girl with pink hair in pigtails and shaved eyebrows stepped into the house, followed by a few others in off-brand clothing.

"Speak of Darkrai, and he shall appear," you murmur, the attention focusing on the door.

Everybody begins to hoot and holler, Hau pushing through to greet his guests. You can't quite make out the conversation over the music and yelling, but the thin girl nods and is let in, the other South Siders pooling in after her.

And one catches your eye.

A short guy walks in, his hair scraggly, black, and somewhat covering is eyes. He has tattoos on his arms, despite being underage. He walked with a sort of slouch, as if he was trying to dissolve in the background. For a fleeting moment, his stormy glower met your curious gaze, and you quickly looked away. You wondered if it was true how you could pay an amateur to do tattoos with used needles in some random garage. Hau told you that's how people got aids.

Hau pipes up, turning around smiling, sensing the shifting emotions of the crowd.

"Everybody have lots of fun tonight, okay! Let's play nice— and get this party started!" he jumps and nearly falls over in his drunkness, and on cue people hollering and laugh louder as the music is cranked up a few octaves. You hope you wouldn't be deaf after this.

The party goes on straightforward, or however straightforward parties can go. Nobody had hurt themselves, and only one girl began to vomit. Things were running smoothly, until a strange odour hit your nostrils around 11pm.

You had been dancing in the living room for some time now, your inhibitions released as the alcohol saturated you. Something outside caught your eye; what looked to be a small lighter flame. Slowly, you put down your drink and investigate.

One of your girlfriends was standing on the deck with what looked like a lit joint in her hands, the short guy you saw earlier sitting at Hau's glass outdoor table, rolling doobies for bystanders. A bill was handed to him, and he passed the joint to one of your classmates.

You stare for a moment, taking in the scene. Away from the music and the pool being on the other side of the house, this was a different atmosphere all together. Suddenly, the boy looks up at you with a scowl.

"You gonna tattle on me 'r what?" he hisses through his teeth. "D'you come to buy or just stand there with your jaw on the ground?" you notice him bring a freshly rolled joint to his hands and lick it with a pierced tongue. You shiver, meeting your friends bloodshot gaze. You felt betrayed she would succumb to such an illegal act.

You back up slowly and go back inside without a reply. The music filled your ears, and you tried to forget what you just saw. Slowly, you made your way back to the coffee table and found your drink where you left it. So, you chug it back hastily in attempt to bring you into a better mood.

For the next half hour, things go well. You somehow end up bouncing on the sofa, people gathered around to watch your skirt flit up and down along with a few other girls pretend pillow-fighting.

But sudden strange feeling sweeps over you. You feel tired and disoriented, and on reflex begin searching the crowd for Lillie's blonde curls. You decide it's a good idea to step off the couch, seeing as your hands begin shaking.

You stumble towards the washroom on the main floor, when you trip on a discarded cup. You're caught by the captain of the volleyball team. "Hey babe, you okay? Let's take you to the washroom," he says in a concerned tone, bringing his hand to your forehead. You blush, feeling tiredness numb your legs. Did you somehow get alcohol poisoning? It was strange, but your thoughts slowed and slowed, so that by the time the captain had helped you up the second flight of stairs, you couldn't form words. The washroom was right there. Why're you taking me to the one upstairs? You think, your mouth cottony.

"Alrighty, Hau said there was a bathroom in his parents bedroom," the captain assured you, as if reading your mind, "oh hey, dude," you look up to see his friends standing with smirks on their faces, arms crossed. Something in his voice sounded fake or strained, "Wanna help me get her to the washroom?"

Nothing was making sense.

Your legs feel like gelitan. You suddenly collapse, unable to hold your weight. His friends rush forward, one grabbing your thighs and lifting you towards Hau's parents bed. The world was spinning and tunnelling, and for a split moment fear churned your stomach. However, you had no energy to reason or form thoughts in your brain, so you let them toss you onto the bed roughly. You heard the door shut and one begin fiddling with your dress strap.

You hear a commotion. It sounded like the door was kicked open, along with a booming shout. Opening your eyes, you see the South Sider who was dealing weed early puffing himself up against the much taller boys from your school, who were cracking their knuckles. The contrast between them was stark: ones yellow dress shirt had been tailored to fit, and the South Sider's tipped pants were nearly falling off. You can faintly make out the words, but only later did you look back and comprehend them.

"Dude, chill man. We were only bringing her up here to tuck her in bed. She's had way too much to drink," one boy smiled insincerely, crossing his arms to puff out his chest.

"It doesn't take four of ya prissy fuckers to do that. Or with undone belts, either," the short boy growled, grey eyes flashing dangerously and head lowered. You notice him reach in his pockets, then pull out his fists clad in spiked brass knuckles.

You don't really remember the rest, other than grunting and yelling. What seems to be seconds later, you open your eyes and see the South Sider hastily put your shoes back on. His nose appears to be broken, and blood was dripping from various parts of his head, particularity his temples.

"...nng?" you try to sit up, only to flop down again.

"It's okay, doll. Big bad Guzma delt with those houndooms. You're safe now." He hoisted himself up, "I'm gonna get yer friend," as your gaze follows him as he runs out, you notice nobody else is in the room, save the captain sprawled on the floor in the hallway.

Your whole body is numb, despite your shivering. You try to sit up once more, this time dizzying into blackness.

o o o

Birds are chirping, perched on your window sill. Sunshine tilts through, landing annoyingly in your eyes.

You wake up the next day in your bed. Meowth looked at your apprehensively, kneading your side and mewing. What on earth happened last night? Who was Big Bad Guzma? You wonder, grabbing your sore head.

A sudden urge to vomit overcomes you, and you leap out of bed.


	2. Two Years Later

Two years have passed since then. You had applied to various Universities to study law, and were currently taking the summer semester off to return to Alola. You ended up attending the same University as Hau in Kalos, who had gone into Engineering. After your graduation, you worked all summer at Aether Paradise with Lillie, helping around with errands. Lillie was currently apprenticing under her mother, as she would take over of the company some day.

April came quickly, and your second year of pre-law ended with a flourish- straight A+'s and one A. Shortly after finishing your last exam, you packed up your private dorm and took a direct flight home with Hau, first class.

When you arrived, Lillie smothered you with kisses and hugs, practically crying with joy, and your mother and father took you out to dinner that night.

"So darling, what're you planning to do until September?" Your mother asked, placing down her fork. You had been served sage-butter gnocchi along with bread and olive oil for dipping. The restaurant was lovely, with a dimly lit ambiance and accents of red.

"Well, Lillie said her mother would hire me again to shadow their administrative office, or maybe be their accountant's assistant," you reply, sipping wine. The drinking age in Alola was 20, and you just made the cut since your birthday was in early spring, "Aether Paradise will look great on my resume," your parents nod to this.

Dinner wrapped up after a sweet serving of crème brulee, and as you gathered your purse your father stood up with a small gift in hand, a box with a ribbon.

"After lots of thought, your mother and I decided it was right of us to give you a Pokémon. Contests are becoming popular here, so we thought you might enjoy it as a weekend hobby," he held out the box for you to open.

You smile widely and fumble out a, "thank you," and undo the ribbon gently. The cushion contained a Premier Ball, reflecting light off it.

"It's an Eevee," your mother proudly stated, "the papered pedigrees are at home. She may even be a good study companion for when you go back to University in the fall,"

You beam, reaching over to kiss and hug your parents, "You have no idea what this means to me, thank you!"

o o o

You press the small button on the titanium device, a flash of red fabricated a ball of silver fluff.

"Incredible! It's a shiny!" Lillie states in awe, green eyes sparkling. She leaned down and extended her hand to let it smell her precariously, "that's so funny your parents gifted you an Eevee, because my mother recently gave me a Vulpix!" she exclaimed, reaching for a pink Friendship Ball in her purse. A moment later, the blue ice-type took form, yipping and jumping into her arms.

You could just see Lusamine plotting this with your parents. After all, contest goers were considered as a well-regarded sport, contrary to the sometimes bloody and raging battle scene. Plus your parents were family friends.

You're grateful nonetheless.

The next day, Lillie had shown up bright and early to meet you at the local café in Hau'oli City.

It was a mild day. The café was called Ribbon + Bee, with a Ribombee logo. Their special was the honey tea latte, which both of you ordered.

It was picturesque. Cobblestone roads outside, people smiling as they shopped and new seedlings sprouting. You could see the beach a short distance away, which people had let their Growlithes and Furfou off their leashes to catch frisbees.

"Do you think we should stop at the Pokémon centre and ask for some care tips?" Lille suggested, licking foam from her pink lips. Under the table, Eevee and Vulpix were happily gnawing on beans.

You agree, taking the last sip of your honey tea latte.

Shortly after prodding your noses into the designer clothing store, where Lillie impulse-bought a new pleated miniskirt, you approach the centre.

You don't expect the altercation currently unfolding in what was supposed to be a hospital.

A dude was slamming his fists on the counter, Nurse Joy glaring at him with hands on her hips. A chansey mimiced her stance, puffing it's cheeks. People were watching hesitantly, one person speaking up impatiently.

"Dude, hurry up, I gotta heal my Pokémon,"

He swung around, baring his teeth and puffed up defensively. The teen had tousled blue hair, circles under his eyes, with dark attire mostly ripped including the soles of his skating shoes. He looked hardly fifteen years old.

"This is such bullshit! This bitch is trying to charge me for healing my Haunter!" he yelled, gesturing accusingly at her. Nurse Joy piped up at this, leaning in.

"Trainers that present their licenses only get free treatment, and you do not own one. The way our business operates, you will be charged per visit if you are no in the League's registration system!" the chansey nodded in agreement.

The boy yanked his hair in frustration, stomping his feet, "I don't have _anything!_ Nobody told me about that stupid rule! So what, you just gonna withhold the only thing keeping me sane?!" you can see the Poké Ball resting in a tray behind Nurse Joy.

"You numbskulls aren't welcome here," the Ace trainer behind him growled coldly, "get a real job, then get into fights with your Pokémon. At least then you can afford it,"

Before the thug retorts, face red, you step forward with your credit card between your fingers.

"I got it,"

Everybody in the center falls silent and looks at you. Eevee yips excitedly.

You step forward, the only sound was your high-heels clicking. You smile and wink at the boy. Nurse Joy pulled out the credit machine, and you swipe your card. 5,000 yen.

"There. Taken care of," the boy is handed back his Haunter, gaping at you. He stares for a few moments, then asks your name. You tell him, and he nods his head in thanks, and leaves the centre with his hands in his pockets avoiding glares from everybody.

"That was awfully kind of you," Lillie smiles as stepped back to her.

"Those Team Skull hooligans are a bunch of ingrates," the Ace behind you scoffs, finally handing his team over to Nurse Joy, "just expect free money and to disrupt the peace,"

"…Pardon me, who?" you look at the trainer and then Lillie, who looked somber.

"Team Skull. They formed up last fall, just after you left. I guess it wasn't really that big of a deal back then since it was mostly misdemeanor, so I forgot to let you know," she apologized.

"Misdemeanor? They've brought hard drugs here!" the Ace retorts angrily.

"W-well…" Lillie begins. You interrupt.

"I had no idea. Thanks for telling me," you nod to the trainer and take Lillie's arm. You would return to ask about care later.

"Are they really that big of a problem?" you inquire as you and Lillie walk towards the ocean, "what did he mean by hard drugs?"

Lillie found a spot on the sand to sit, lacing her fingers around her knees as the two of you watched some mantine jump from the waves.

"Like I said, it was after you left… There was an influx of opioids and stimulants mostly. The police force is still trying to find the main cooking lab, apparently, they found a grow op for marijuana in a trailer park on Ula'Ula recently. It's got Alola in a tizzy; cocaine is becoming popular among trainers and apparently the tourists get it too while they're partying or golfing…" she trails off, shaking her head, "it's going to ruin so many lives. Plus, petty crime has increased as well. From stealing Pokémon to breaking into local businesses. People are scared they're a branch of Team Rocket,"

You subconsciously grab Eevee, holding your breath. Team Rocket had been dismantled for more than 10 years ago, but you heard rumours Giovanni had yet to be found.

"And people have the right to be scared! This is our _home_!" she gestures to the palm trees and white-sanded beach, "this isn't Nimbasa or Saffron City, you know?"

You nod solemnly in agreement.

Later that evening, you find your mother preparing dinner.

"Mom, what's Team Skull?" you ask. She jumped as the question catches her off-guard. She thought for a moment, then turned back to the boiling pot on the stove,

"Oh, I've heard they're kids from the wrong side of the tracks who have caused quite the ruckus lately. Officer Jenner will handle it on their accord. Oh, sweety, I forgot olive oil. Do you mind running to the store?" she changed the subject before letting you reply, rummaging for a bill in her purse. You nod, then make your way outside to your bike with the basket on front. It was dark outside already.

It didn't take you long to cycle to the grocery store. The roads were dimly lit, elm and oak trees bowing over the roads in a somewhat ominous manner. You heard a hoothoot, well, hoot in the trees above you.

Buying the oil quickly, you decide to take a different path home. You live close enough to the ocean that you can practically taste the salt on your tongue, which lead you home.

Parking your bike along the house, you reach for the grocery bag but hear what sounds to be a battle on the beach. You hesitated, listening more. The sound was faint, but you decided to investigate.

You follow the ravine down to the beach, having to follow a wooden stair path on the way down. A blast of chilly ocean air hits you, and when you tuck the hair out of your face you are met with what looked like a large bug-type slicing at the large rock you enjoyed sitting on when Hau and you were kids.

"E-excuse me?" you step onto the sand. You immediately recognize the golisopod, a massive water-bug duel type you remember being warned about when you were a kid, as they were sometimes hiding in caves near tidepools where they snatched unsuspecting prey. The menacing arthropod turned it's attention to you, and immediately charged with it's multiple claws extended.

You trip backwards on the stairs, falling onto them awkwardly, and the six-foot creature towered over you with terrible scream in your face, opening it's mandibles to reveal rows of teeth.

Frozen and unable to move, you suddenly hear a voice shout, "stop!" and to your relief the golisopod immediately retreats from entrapping you. The blood rushed to your head, and your knees shake to the point if you aren't sure if you dare stand up.

In the distance, a trainer steps forward, hands in his pockets. You could make out in the limelight from the moon that he placed a hand on golisopod, who bent down in submission.

"Big buffoon likes jumping to conclusions," he muttered, you see his frame pat the bug's exoskeleton. He then began walking towards you, shifting his hands into his pocket, "why don't'cha just leave and pretend…." He trailed off as he approached you. You squint, trying to see if you had seen this fellow before. It was too dark to make out his face. A hoothoot stirs and lets out a short call.

"Um. Um…" the guy attempts to form words when you notice a few more figures approach from the lower beach.

"Oy boss, somethin' givin' ya trouble?" one hollers. You notice a bandana tied around the boy's neck, and you could faintly make out blue hair.

That's when two and two are put together in your mind. You begin stuttering loudly, and open your mouth to scream when suddenly there's a big hand covering half your face. The golisopod's owner is much, much taller than he looked far away. And a lot stronger, judging his grip on your arm.

"Don't make a peep, will ya?" he hisses, leaning in, "just scurry home now; ya didn't see nothin',"

You're shaking, tears welling up in your vision. It was so unbelievably dark, and the angle of the moon didn't help to make out the features of his face, other than his hair was tousled white.

"Hey wait, boss… That's the chick that bailed me out earlier," the blue haired boy said, scratching his ear. You could see a ghost Pokémon shadow his movements.

The man looked back at him, then at you, and slowly released his grip. You inhale sharply, and…

"What were you thinking! You nearly suffocated me you mankey!" you yell, extending your feet to shove him away. You realize he had been fixed in a squatting position this whole time, making him topple over and summersault back.

"Yeah Guzma, she saved me 5,000 yen and my Haunter!" the blue haired boy exclaimed, his Pokémon waving its ghostly claws at you.

Guzma.

Where had you heard that name before?

Guzma stood up, dusting sand off himself.

"Good for you!" he yelled, tossing a hand at him, "any idiot from the ghetto knows Pokémon Centres are expensive as fuck!"

You feel a slight unease at that statement, anxiety itching at your neck. You look up as he turned to you briefly, didn't say anything, and began walking away down the beach toward Hau'oli City. His golisopod followed compliantly.

The blue-hared boy hesitates, then waves at you, and before you realize it, you're left alone on the beach.

The rock you used to sit on was broken in half, and scratched up violently.

o o o

The next day you decided to go back to the Pokémon center to buy some supplies forEevee. As you browse various supplies, including peering at trainer items such as repels and potions, a small crowd gathers around your shiny Pokémon. People are smiling and taking pictures with their Pokédex's.

"Such a healthy coat!"

"So cute! Can I touch it?"

Eevee is yipping happily at the attention, of course. She would be a real hit at the contest hall, you think.

"Here you go ma'am, I printed off this basic Eevee information. Unfortunately, most of the research is breeding data. They're not very popular for battling," a clerk handed you a package of papers, which you flip through them. They were often used in lab experiments, you discover sadly, and had volatile genetics. There was a chart of different possible evolutions that were known. The Sylveon caught your eye.

"Thanks!" you turn to pick up Eevee and walk home.

As you walk down Dougald Road, you notice a figure sitting on the newly split rock a distance a way. Squinting, you wondered if it was Lillie or Hau.

Children were making castle with sandygast and some people played with their Pokémon in the water.

As you made your way down the wooden steps, you realize the figure on the rock resembled the guy you met yesterday night. As you drew closer, the golisopod jumped from around the bend, flashing its mandibles as a warning. You fumble for a moment, then focus to the top of the rock.

He's staring down at you, arms laced around his knees in a sitting position. His eyes have dark rings around them, white hair fluffed by the wind. Was this the same guy from last night?

"Oh. It's you," he turns back to watching the ocean. The golisopod relaxes. "I just wanted to thank ya. For the, y'know, help. Idiot didn't know better, and he's lucky somebody saved his sorry ass,"

He drew a sharp breath, and looked down at you again.

"You don't remember me, do ya?"

You pick at your brain for a moment, then shake your head.

He shakes his head and chuckles, "Guzma. I don't blame you if ya don't remember though, it was, like, a long time ago," he shrugged, staring back out at the ocean.

The memories crash back to you. You stare in awe for a moment before he slides off the rock and approaches you.

This was the same tiny kid that beat the snot out of the four boys who tried raping you two years ago? The one dealing weed at Hau's party? You recalled the tiny kid, black hair, and oddly the tongue ring.

The Guzma towering over you now is nearly six-foot, if at all despite his slouching. You notice gauges in his ears, and more tattoos on his arm from last time you saw him. Not to mention how angular his jaw was, compared to the baby-fat face from two years ago.

And he was really, really attractive.

He grinned at you, almost menacingly. You notice his "S" shaped necklace shine as it caught the sunlight. South Side…?

"Not that you St. Arceus' preps show any ounce of gratitude, not with the constant silver-spoon feeding," he jabs, forming a pit in your stomach. You step back, frowning. Eevee growled at golisopod and Guzma notices and laughs.

"D'you see that? Little pipsqueak is try'na size up Golisopod!" he almost keels over holding his stomach. You fume, clenching your fists, "You wanting a beat down 'er something? I thought preps from St. A's were pretty much banned from holding Poké Balls!"

"So, what? M-maybe if you weren't such a… such a…" you trail off, feeling yourself begin to profusely sweat.

"Thug?" he finishes off for you with a sly smirk, his mouth twisting into a dangerous smile. You notice a flash catch on his tooth, and you realize he was wearing grills on his canines. He straightened up, and you see Golisopod flex its claws, "what'cha gonna do about it, doll?"

You feel your face burn. At the corner of your eye, you notice the children stopped playing and a tanning woman had lifted up her sunglasses to watch. You gulp the hard knot in your throat.

"If I knew how to battle… You'd be toast!" you recall seeing how trainers bantered each other on television. That was the right thing to say, right? You had no idea, never having commanded a single move from a Pokémon, seeing as you didn't own one until now.

Guzma laughed again at this, dismissing Golisopod with a wave. He then began to step away, before leaning towards your ear and whispering, "Tough-talk gets ya killed. If you weren't so damn cute I'd be giving you shake down for all those credit cards in your pockets," and with that, he walked away with a swagger in his step. You turn around, not sure if you were red because you were fuming or embarrassed, yet you weren't able to say a word.

 _What nerve!_ you think bitterly, looking down at a shaking Eevee.

o o o

"So darling, did you get your Eevee some supplies today?" your mother asks at the dinner table. You had arrived home shortly after the incident with Guzma, huffing and puffing.

"Oh yeah. Yeah I did," you poke at your potato, sighing with your chin resting in your palm. Your father picks up on this.

"Your mother and I went to Hau'oli city today. We picked you up some special treats for Eevee, from Hoenn. They're special especially made for contest trainers to improve your Pokémon's overall appearance," he smiled, gesturing to a box sitting on the counter, "we're also going out to a movie tonight. House is all yours". You remember it was Friday, as your parents enjoyed going to the cinema for date night every week.

"Thanks. And have fun," you sigh, nibbling at the last bit of salad before putting your dishes in the sink.

Your parents exchanged looks, and then finished their dinner in silence. Shortly, your mom had spritzed some perfume on and then they were out the door.

The clock read 8:20. You kept thinking about the events that unfolded that day, and looked down at Eevee, who was grooming Meowth. Was Eevee even capable of battling…?

Were you even capable of battling…?

o o o

You and Lillie sit on the pier in Hau'oli City eating gelato, watching the corosola beneath the waves.

"So… You met that Guzma kid who saved you in high school…?" Lillie asks, licking pistachio from her spoon, "geez, nobody's seen or heard him since that party at Hau's two years ago," her Vulpix and your Eevee are playing tag behind you, yipping happily.

"Yeah, he looks sort of… Different now. If he ditched that terrible attitude I would think him to be rather handsome," you eat a spoonful of strawberry gelato. You had spilled to Lillie about two night's ago events, looking for some sort of opinion or comment from your best friend. The situation in itself felt weird, especially as he had been chilling out in broad daylight on top of the rock he destroyed. You clenched your fists at the thought of your childhood memories being shattered by that big, ugly bug.

"Oh, since when were you into South Siders?" Lillie teases, "and since when did you become the aggressive type? Usually people focus on becoming trainers from a young age, and they're usual… middle or lower class people," she adds quietly, "don't you want to stick to contests?"

You shrug, glancing back at Eevee who was investigating a Pyukumuku, "to be honest, she's not really the fighting type. Some Pokémon just have a stronger aptitude for it I guess. Either that or it's be at fault," both of you giggle at this, "And… I forgot to tell you. Remember a few days ago I paid for that Team Skull kid's hospital bill? He was with him on the beach that night, and I thought maybe..."

Lillie places a thoughtful finger on her chin, "So you're implying that Guzma's a part of this gang-shenanigans now?" she looked worried for a moment, "but… Maybe it's expected from South Siders to resort to things like that," she took another scoop of her gelato, shrugging. Silence overcame you two, then she spoke up.

"Mother said she made ties with a pretty big company a few nights ago," she says smiling, "even though she won't tell me the name… She told us all at Aether that it'll really boost revenue. It'll benefit the Pokémon we're rehabilitating and scientific research funding immensely. Speaking of which, are you excited to start work on Monday?" she smiles.

You hesitate for a moment, remembering all the introductory law courses you spent hunched over at your desk studying for hours, "As ready as I'll ever be! We meet here at 8 am, right? And it's a 20-minute speed-boat ride?" you gaze on the blue horizon, seeing the white Paradise vaguely on the horizon surrounded by mist.

"You're right," she smiled, finishing her gelato.

You briefly remember him smirking at you, and you blush. He smelt good too.

Wait, what? Did you just think a South Sider smelt good...?

You frantically stand up, throwing your empty cup in the recycling so Lillie wouldn't see you blush.


	3. A Change in Plans

The next day awoke to the sound Pikipecks chirping near your window. Eevee, who slept with you that night, yawned and crawled under the bed sheets.

"Today's the first day back at Aether," you smile to yourself, jumping out of bed. You decide to put a little bit of extra effort into your appearance, including adorning the golden necklace you received for your eighteenth birthday. It had a real Shellder pearl on the end. Before you left, your mother gave you a hug and wished you good luck. You decided to leave Eevee at home.

o o o

You arrived at Hau'oli City's docks to see Lillie waiting for you by their family's private speed boat. Her younger brother, Gladion, stood next to her with his hands in his ripped jean pockets. Others may have mistaken Gladion for being a sour individual, but the truth was he suffered from frequent migraines and was on some prescription medication for depression that made him snappy at times. Even though you knew him most of your adolescent life, he was still not much fun to be around. Apparently, he was often scolded for his interest in Pokémon. Lillie even mentioned once he was training in secret under their mother's nose. You swore not to tell anyone (Lusamine approved of flaunting Pokémon for contests, which earned Lillie her Vulpix. Although battling was considered a big no-no for blue bloods). You weren't sure what type of Pokémon Gladion was training, though, and you probably never would. He liked his privacy.

Lillie waved to you excitedly. She was clad in her dress and sunhat instead of the casual miniskirt and ponytail she preferred to wear.

"Miss Wicke is excited to see you again!" She smiled, inviting you onto the boat. It was quite lovely inside, with accidents of gold against most of the white interior. Wicke was seated at the table, being served fresh fruit and coffee for breakfast.

"Oh, (y/n), it's so lovely to see you!" She leaped up and nearly crushed you in a giant hug; you're almost taken out by her massive boobs.

"Please, come sit and we can catch up before we arrive at Aether!" She gestured to the seat, which you took cautiously. Rocking boats weren't somewhere you felt comfortable in, and Gladion scoffed at you for not having "sea-legs".

It took half an hour to skip across the waves to the Paradise, and it was just as big and magnificent as you remembered. Lillie and Gladion spent most of their childhood on this turf, and you knew their private residence was towards the back of the facility. They had another home on the mainland, of course (and pretty much every other region).

They take you through the facility, first starting with the reception area. Familiar faces smile and nod to you, some stopping to chat with you and Lillie. Wicke lead you through the labs next, where you see various biologists performing experiments, one involving many colourful test tubes and a centrifuge. You were happy to not see any live Pokémon in the labs.

"We strive to be a cruelty-free facility," Wicke confirms, as if reading your mind. You notice new fume hoods in the chemistry department, as well as new egg incubators. On the other side of the lab, you could see the lush green garden. That was always your favourite part of the facility, as Lillie celebrated many of her birthdays in there.

The tour finished at the administration office. Wicke introduced you to the head project manager, who went over expectations for your job. It seemed to mostly include organizing papers and taking notes during meetings. _Easy enough_ , you thought with a smile.

Two o'clock hit after other clerical matters were taken care of, which Wicke passed you onto a worker that lead the three of you to the gardens.

Waterfalls crashed at the corners, with rippling streams carving their way under various paths and bridges. Lush green undergrowth covered most of the artificial forest floor, the trees swelling with various fruits and berries. Once in a while, you caught a glimpse of a Pokémon observing you pass by before disappearing into the ferns.

In the middle, there was a courtyard underneath the glass roof, where the concentration of sun rays shone. A clothed table was set up, Lusamine sitting awaiting your arrival with a butler standing rigidly next to her. A triple-tiered silverware set was placed in the centre with various scones, sandwiches and sweets on each level. You noticed two security guards flanking the edges of the courtyard.

"Mother!" Lillie smiled, composing herself. Gladion seemed to straighten up as well.

She spoke slowly, deeply, calmly.

"Lillie, Gladion," she nodded at her children without much of a response, then turned to you, flashing a sweet smile, "and (y/n), how lovely to see you!"

You took a seat at the table; the butler went ahead to pour your tea.

"Thank you for joining me," Lusamine barely acknowledged her children sitting down, angling herself towards you. "Please, tell me how Kalos has been,"

You go on for the next twenty minutes about your university life. You wanted to point out the food wasn't great on campus but felt like complaining to somebody as prestigious as Lusamine was like yawning in front of a legendary Pokémon. At the corner of your eye, Lillie was fidgeting with the table cloth. Had Lusamine always been this aloof towards her children?

"I would like to discuss this quarter's plans at Aether Paradise," Lusamine began after your conversation about school ended, "we will be releasing the news to the media tomorrow. After receiving a massive grant from the Alolan government, we will be conducting new, uncharted research into Ultra Beasts," your eyes widen, and you exchange surprised looks with Lillie. Gladion sipped his tea calmly.

You remember hearing about these creatures. Aether was well known for their rehabilitation programs, but they also had many physicists that worked on proving String Theory, a multiverse hypothesis. You remember there was a huge breakthrough in discovering alternate dimensions with proof of soil and rock samples that had been collected from a Porygon sent through a wormhole. The news shocked the world and made history.

"As you know, we have been world leaders in research, and after our discovery of Ultra Wormholes and Space two years ago, we believe it is time we investigate the lifeforms occupying these dimensions,"

You nod in amazement. Lillie piped up, leaning forward, "Mother, you mentioned signing a contract with another organization recently. Does that mean they're helping us with the new research as well?"

You notice the butler shift uneasily. The blonde had been quiet the whole time, but you guessed this was the longest she had sat

Lusamine had been sipping her tea before setting it down calmly. A silence fell over the table, and nervousness ebbed at your chest.

After what felt like minutes, she finally spoke.

"Lillie," your best friend had been patiently waiting, but you noticed Gladion gritting his teeth in frustration across the table.

"I told you once already that they will be aiding our research. I will give no further details,"

Her words sliced through the air like a Poison Jab. Lillie sunk into her seat, Gladion suppressed what looked to be choice words, and your gaze fell to your hands. A blanket of uneasiness fell over the table. Everybody knew not speak to Lusamine unless she spoke first.

Another minute of uncomfortable silence.

"A boat is scheduled to bring you back to Hau'oli City shortly," Lusamine shot up from the table, rattling the dishes. She walked away, heels tapping the floor.

"Way to go, dumbass," Gladion growled once their mother and her guards were out of sight, eying daggers at his sister. You got up and hurried to her side when you noticed the tears pour down her cheeks.

"I wasn't... I wasn't..." she began fumbling, but you hugged her tightly, and she leaned into your embrace.

"You know better than to provoke mom like that. Honestly, you're so fucking stupid, and just when she started acknowledging us like humans again," Gladion got up from his seat and marched away with his head in his hands. You knew his migraines triggered from stress.

Lusamine had spoiled her children rotten growing up, but in exchange she viewed them somewhat like playthings; at least that's what Lillie told you before. They were expected to be silent and obedient like "sweet little Espurrs".

Lillie cried for a few more minutes and then slowly stopped.

"She's just been working so hard lately, I haven't sat down with her in so long…" she sniffled, trying to clean the running mascara on her cheeks, "why does she love Aether more than me?" she whispered, looking up to you for an answer. Your heart twisted, but you couldn't form a proper reply. Ever since their father had passed away, Lusamine had been hellbent on the Ultra Space project. It's still no excuse to disregard her own children, though.

"Let's go back to my place," you helped your best friend stand up, and began making your way down to the marina.

"Before we go, I gotta go to the restroom. I'll meet you on the boat," she nodded, and you split off to find a washroom.

You walked for a few minutes, finding yourself coming to an unfamiliar corridor. A strange scent filled your nose, somewhat like your Meowth's litter box. You scrunch your nose when another more chemical smell hits it, and you decide to investigate where it was coming from.

The scent leads you to a part of Aether they hadn't toured you in. It was a darker hallway, and at the end you saw a light shining through a half-opened door. As you approached it, the hum of machines and low voices became notable.

Unable to fully make out what the voices were saying, you gaze through the crack in the door. You first noticed bags of small blue crystals next to what you assumed to be more inside of boxes, along with... was that a Pokémon...?

You had never seen it before. It looked like a cloud but glittered like a galaxy. It was black and blue, and had its eyes closed.

Monitors began to go off, and a scientist in a lab coat barked orders to "stabilize Cosmog's vitals,".

You backed away from the door, your heart pounding in your chest. What were those employees doing? Why was a Pokémon hooked up to all that wiring? What was that blue stuff?

Forgetting about finding a washroom, you made your way to the boat.

o o o

"I want to run away," Lillie was crying again, holding Vulpix. When you got home, you offered to let her sleep over.

"If you do that, who am I gonna eat galato with? Malasadas and Hau get really boring after a while," your comment made Lillie perk up, and she even laughed.

"C'mon, he's not that bad. And we could run away together," she smiled, wiping her face.

"And what, become trainers?" you scoff. You could almost imagine your parents' souls leaving their bodies if you told them that.

To your surprise, she doesn't counter it. In fact, she was staring at you with determined eyes.

"We have the whole summer. Our youth is fleeting," she said in an out-of-character serious tone.

"Lillie…"

"We can say we're going to travel,"

"I just got the paper's signed at Aether. I'm working, remember? Besides, we're two years behind on the whole," you wave your arms around for emphasis, " _Pokémon Journey_ thing,"

She doesn't flinch, only continues to stare at you with a burning gaze. You sigh.

"Aren't you afraid of Pokémon?" you think about the Golisopod's hot breath on your face, and the huge pincers, "not the cute fluffy ones. Vulpix wouldn't stand a chance against an Onix," you wanted to mention how trainers were usually ruffians that grew up in a low-class lifestyle but decided not to, remembering Gladion. Although that Guzma seemed like a perfect example.

"Besides, aren't you invested in business already? People who like Pokémon grow up with them and sort of dream about becoming trainers," your chastising didn't seem to be working, as Lillie was deep in thought, "you know nothing about them. Neither do I,"

She doesn't reply for a few minutes, deep in thought. Her facial expression changes a few times before you ask her if she wanted to come down to the beach for some fresh air.

It was evening, the ocean turning a bright orange to reflect the sunset. You and your best friend walked down the wooden stairs together, taking in the view. The beach was clear, probably because the tourists were having dinner.

You take off your shoes and begin walking towards the water.

"W-what happened to the rock?" Lillie gasped, turning your attention to the boulder you two used to climb as kids.

"Ugh I forgot to tell you. Guzma's got a big, ugly bug Pokémon that he was training with the other night. I caught him red-handed vandalizing our rock," you scowl. "I forgot to tell you,"

Silence fell over the two of you, and for a while the waves and wind were the only sounds.

"I just… I don't want to be afraid any more. I want to be brave, like Gladion. I want to be able to be strong enough to stand up to mother," you can see her green eyes glisten with tears, "Please." She was dead serious. Despite being meek and frail her whole life, these were the strongest words you heard come from her mouth. You couldn't deny her hope. You wanted to support her with your whole heart.

The thought of being a trainer entertained your mind. You weren't apprehensive; you were afraid. You were afraid of what your peers would think if you stooped down to a scoundrel's social class, you were afraid of disappointing your parents, you were afraid of getting lost or hurt, you were afraid of forgetting everything you studied in university, and you were…

You were afraid of liking it.

Pokémon training was something vastly unknown to you. It was never really dealt in your cards. It was always, "lawyer this, lawyer that," from your parents. It was probably much, much worse for Lillie seeing as such a prestigious foundation in the public eye would belong to her one day.

"We can't just leave…" you reaffirmed. Lillie deflated. "We need a plan,"

A spark lit in her green orbs. You felt a knot form in your throat but swallowed it down.

"But I don't want to lose my job at Aether," you began, but Lillie cut you off by jumping to hold your hands.

"We can move you! I-I have an idea," she regained her composure, "A PokeBiologist works for a branch of Aether. He's got his Ph. D in kinesiology," she began slowly, eyebrows furrowing in thought, "His name is Kukui. He has a lab not far from here… We can work for him. If you want," she almost sounded like she was pleading. "He studies the movement of Pokémon. Um, their 'moves'," she clarified.

You nod, turning over the thought in your head.

"I wanna start tomorrow. I'll phone the administrative office tonight to get your paper work transferred," she looked at you hopefully, waiting for an answer.

Aether Paradise would technically still be on your resume, you rationalized.

"What do we tell our parents? Lusamine would put you on house-arrest if she found out," you stated doubtfully.

Lillie smiled sweetly, for a moment looking like her mother, "Proffessor Kukui will help keep our secret,"

You sharply inhaled, closing your eyes. The thought of being on a battle field, being at the mercy of your adrenaline levels, and commanding monsters in gruesome fights made the hairs on your neck rise. It was so foreign, as if you were standing behind a closed door.

You didn't know your next choice of words would change your life forever.

"Okay,"

o o o

The rundown of what happened that night is as follows, feeling fast and almost surreal:

Lillie called Aether and asked to speak to Wicke about transferring your files. She was very pleasant and compliant, and Lillie thanked her graciously. Next, you and she rode your bikes down to what looked to be a shack on the neighbouring beach, but the inside was surprisingly modern, including tanks of deep-sea Pokémon and lots of machinery. You met Kukui, who was a jolly character that wore a swimsuit under his lab coat.

"Oh, we'll say that we sent you to the next region over to take notes at research meetings," he laughed, picking up a Rockruff that was running around his lab. You were surprised at how compliant he was, but Lillie just smiled sweetly when you asked why.

Next was the difficult part. By the time you rode back to your home, your mother was tapping her foot in irritation by the front door.

"I've been phoning you all night. Where have you been?" she asked, Meowth mocking her stance.

"Sorry mom, Lillie and I went for a bike ride. I forgot my phone downstairs,"

She scolded you again but invited you and Lillie in for dinner. At the table, you told them that Aether would be sending you on business trip meetings frequently. Lillie nodded. That was without a reeling interrogation from your parents, who thought you would be working a 9-5 job.

"Yeah, I thought this would look better on a resume though," you manage to dodge most of their questions. You continue to spin a web of fibs, and to your surprise it was rather easy to do. You never lied to your parents in your whole life until now, but to your relief they seemed to buy the story.

That night, you rummage through your closet to find a purse big enough to carry your belongings in.

"Tooth brush, check. Phone charger, check." As you packed your bag, Lillie found a lacy designer bra.

"Ouu," she held it up, and you flushed, "take this in case you meet a cute boy?" she teased. You snatched it from her and she giggled. Eevee cocked her silver head.

You awoke the next morning with a jolt and a hundred questions flying through your mind. Were you really leaving today? What if your parents caught you? What if a Pokémon attacked you and Eevee wasn't strong enough? What if Lillie got too afraid and backed out? What if _you_ got too afraid?

"Todays the day we run away!" Lillie smiled.

"We're technically not running away… We're 20, not 14," you grumbled.

Lillie dressed in her high pony and white-blue miniskirt outfit. She had a pastel bag that she had packed the night before, as she biked home to pack her things and hastily tell Gladion she was running away. Like a good big brother, he promised not to tell, just like how Lillie didn't tell when he used to run away.

When you arrived at Kukui's lab, you were nearly shaking in your boots. How was your best friend putting on such a brave face?

Kukui approached with a smile on his face and cut to the chase. He held two red devices. He handed them to you, and to your surprise, when you pushed the button it jumped from your hands and began speaking.

"R-R-Rotom Dex here!" it spoke in a squeaky, electronic voice. Your eyes widened in astonishment. You'd never seen such amazing technology. Before you could ask, Kukui gave you a satchel of Poké Ball.

"Your job is to collect data for me. Since you're not doing an Island Challenge, your main job will be to simply explore most of the Alolan region and collect as many monsters as you can. Have you got a Pokémon yet?"

You nod on reflex, swallowing hard.

"Aw don't look so nervous, kid. You're technically just a research assistant. And don't worry, you won't have to face those Totems or Kahunas!" he laughed, but you had no clue what he was talking about. "Not unless you want to. You'll be fine," he patted your shoulder heartily, sounding much softer. You weren't sure if it was a good time to bring up the fact you'd never engaged in a real Pokémon dual your whole life and were really from a family of snotty rich people.

 _I'm doing this for Lillie,_ you remind yourself.

He gave you a quick tutorial on how to use the Rotom Dex, which was actually Pokémon itself. He also gave you a Ride Pager, as it was illegal to ride bareback on unlicensed flight or surfing Pokémon in Alola. He also leads you to a corner with a camera and computer, where he told both you and Lillie to take turns standing on the red "X".

"A photo for your Trainer ID. Say FLAAFY!"

Before you had any time for questions, he gave you your cards and turned you and Lillie out the door saying he had lots of research to get back to.

You couldn't believe you had gone from domesticated office worker to trainer ruffian in less than ten minutes.

"Are you sure he works for Aether?" you asked Lillie, worried about his credentials.

"Yes, he's employed by us. He actually has another lab on Ula'Ula," she turned to the patchy shack, then back to you. "And speaking of Ula'Ula, we should go there,"

You realized she probably wanted to get as far away from Melemele as possible. So did you, as to not have any locals spy you with a Pokédex.

"Have you ever ridden a Pokémon before?" you asked. You clicked the pager and waited.

Shortly, an orange-scaled dragon landed, resting on four legs to allow you two to climb into it's seat. It was incredible; it's yellow, slit eyes watched you carefully, and the horns on it's head were sharp and polished-looking. You also noticed the massive wings folded gently to it's sides, and the flaming tail with heat radiating hot enough for you to feel, even standing near it's shoulders. This was a Pokémon meant for the battlefield, you thought.

You went to jump on when you noticed Lillie stagger behind, looking scared and hesitant.

"It's okay," you smiled, grasping her manicured hand. She seemed to snap out of it, and gently climbed on behind you. Why were you the one comforting her? Didn't she push you into this?

"Maybe we should have taken the speedboat. Or a ferry," Lillie said anxiously, looking down as the dragon's wings unfolded. Before you replied, the dragon lifted off with such force you nearly slid off, screaming.

And you two practically screamed all the way to Ula'Ula.

o o o

Malie City was shrouded in clouds when you arrived. You nearly kissed the ground when you dismounted the dragon, Lillie following shakily.

It was still early morning, "We should check into a hotel before the tourists snatch them up," you suggested, and Lillie agreed.

The city was absolutely lovely. A lot more eastern than Hau'oli City, with various sushi and ramen restaurants. The streets were very clean, and the houses all had slanted blue roofs. "It reminds me of Ecruteak City in Johto," you commented. Surprisingly, you hadn't visited Ula'Ula much, except during the grand opening of the Pokémon League. You noticed some black-bird Pokémon eyeing you from a building and pulled out you Pokédex.

 _"Murkrow, the Darkness Pokémon. Seen as a symbol of bad luck, it's generally disliked. Yet it gives presents—objects that sparkle or shine—to Trainers it's close to."_ You smile, wondering how the Dex could identify a Pokémon so far away.

"I think I'd prefer a cuter Pokémon," Lillie commented, looking at the Dex entry.

After walking up and down the streets, and impulsively buying a new hair ribbon from the clothing store, you find the hotel near the local library. The woman behind the counter was just finishing taking care of two tourists.

"Hello there, may I help you?" the woman asked. Lillie asked for a room, but the woman's brows knotted.

"I'm sorry but we just booked up. There's a hostel down the street though, and it's cheaper too."

You shot Lillie a look. You heard about people getting bed bugs and their possessions stolen from those places. However, seeing as you were running out of options you asked for directions and found the two-story house not far from the clothing shop you were at earlier.

Upon entrance, it was surprisingly comfortable and incense-smelling inside. Tatami mats, a small kitchenette, and flower vases with art hanging from the walls. A traveler was playing his banjo on the couch with a Smeargle sleeping next to him.

"Excuse me, do you have room for two tonight?" Lillie asked an old woman behind a counter, who was smoking a pipe next to an Alolan Meowth. Thankfully there was, and you booked a room for a measly 2,000 yen.

"What do you say we check out that dojo and take some notes on battling?" Lillie suggested after you unpacked your belongings. There was thankfully one private room left, so you assumed it would be safe enough to leave your heavy purses behind.

"Sure. Maybe we should check out the library, too," you suggested. The two of you headed out, finding the dojo was a few blocks away. The first half of the afternoon was spent being spectators while taking observant notes, and the other half was spent in the local library. You were glad to have packed a journal and extra paper.

"Man, I feel like such a dummy reading kid's books on Pokémon types," you yawn, leaning back in your chair. Malie's library was significantly smaller than the University of Kalos, but it was still quaint and chalked with information. To be honest, you were becoming bored and restless of spending your time studying.

"Do you wanna take a break and grab dinner? I saw a sushi restaurant earlier, we should check it out," you pet Eevee, who was curled on your lap asleep. Lillie looked up from a pair of spectacles, smiling, "we've just been studying all day and my head is gonna burst,".

Once you two arrive at the restaurant, it was already sunset. The place was bustling with tourists; you even had to wait a few minutes for a table. Once seated and ordered, you turn to your blonde friend.

"It feels surreal. I can't believe I said yes to switching jobs for you. Still, it feels like we're on vacation," you sipped at your tea, then reached for the salted edamame, "but maybe it's best you spend time away from your mother Lill. Even if she finds out you're gone, it's not like she can be mad at you because you're still technically working for Aether,"

"Same with you! Maybe not the whole desk-job part, but I'm just happy we can experience what it's like to be trainers before we get _really_ old!" the two of you laugh at this. A comment suddenly catches your attention from the table behind you. Two older women were speaking in hushed voices.

"I heard Po Town has been cursed by the Tapu," one grumbled.

"Ever since those Arceus-forsaken children took over, it's been one event after another. Why aren't the police doing anything about it?"

"It's private property. Apparently, the whole town's been bought up a few weeks ago, right after all those kids moved in. Who can afford an entire city?"

"That damn Team Skull. I just know it's them. I've seen those little delinquents with their scarves and coloured hair running around Tapu Village. I wouldn't be surprised if Po Town's where all the meth's coming out of,"

You glance at Lillie, who had been listening to the conversation as well. Shortly, your food arrived, and you ate in silence, continuing to listen.

"Too bad gangs are so insidious. You can never know who their leader is because they're set up like rings,"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, they've got all the low-ranking grunts flanking the outside. They're the meat and bones of the gang. The admins and bosses are well hidden and protected... and once one is taken out, another one simply fills the role. It's near impossible to take out an organization because, well, they're organized,"

"So, are they well enough protected that they can walk around in broad daylight?"

"It's always the ones you don't suspect, Clarice,"

Their conversation subsided, and you looked back to Lillie. Was Team Skull really becoming such a big issue? So far you hadn't come across any drug users. You put down your chopsticks as your appetite faded. You remembered the blue-haired boy calling Guzma 'boss'. Was he really involved in Team Skull? You assumed since he grew up impoverished, and since he was known to sell pot in high school that it was a possibility. If Guzma hadn't saved you that night, you may had turned around and told those ladies your suspects. But for some reason, you felt strangely indebted to him. Despite him being a real jerk to you, you felt like there was an underlying explanation for his actions.

You patted yourself on the back for being such a good pre-law student.

o o o

The two of you had sauntered into Malie Gardens after dinner, the sky still shrouded in clouds. Lamps lit the gravel path, and you walked slowly over the bridges in silence. There didn't appear to be anyone around.

"Lillie, I want to get to the bottom of Team Skull," you confess, folding your arms over the railings of a little shrine and gazing down into the water. "I mean, I can't stop thinking about that boy from the Pokémon Center in Hau'oli City. He was just... a kid. And a lot of them are from South Side High. We knew them in high school, Lill!" you turned to her, "they're probably our age or younger. They probably come from bad lives, and they're just running away... I don't know," you look back down, spotting a Goldeen under the ripping pond water.

She took a deep breath, leaning on the railing next to you, "I know how they feel then... I guess it wouldn't hurt to investigate. You really wanna crack the code to Team Skull?" she asked, and you have a flashback to the Golisopod standing over Guzma.

Guzma.

Why did you keep thinking about him?

"Yo, who's talkin' about Team Skull?" you shot up, noticing two kids standing at the end of the bridge. How had they snuck up on you without noticing? You were completely trapped; surrounded by water. They were hunched over, gritting their teeth at you and bracing their Poké Ball.

"W-we," you stutter, instinctively groping your purse for Eevee's ball.

"Two little rich prissies talkin' shit, huh? Maybe Raticate can teach you a lesson about bein' a snake!" as she spoke, white light flashed from her Dusk Ball and a black rat appeared with it's teeth bared. The second girl let out a blue and purple Pokémon, what you later discovered as a mareanie. Seeing the foul-looking monsters made your legs stiffen and no words come from your mouth. You simply stood, there, feeling Lillie shaking like a leaf next to you.

"What, you stupid er somethin'?" the pink-haired girl asked, whisking her hair from her face, "Whatev. Ratticate, use Sucker Punch on those two idiots,"

Your body suddenly began to work. You don't remember sending out Eevee, nor think about the consequences of sending out a rare baby Pokémon, but when you did the raticate stopped in it's tracks looking surprised at her silver fur. Both grunt's eyes widened, and you saw a smirk form on their faces. Suddenly, you wished you took the punch rather than sending her out.

"Plumes'll like this. Raticate, snatch the little furball and bring'er over here!" she cried out, and the rat lurched forward with it's claws extended. You screamed as Eevee was grabbed, who cried in pain. The raticate held her around the scruff and bounded back to it's trainer. The mareanie sneered as the rat receive praise.

"You sure are a class-A idiot. Thanks for the shiny!" the grunt held Eevee up by her scruff with a rough taunting shake, to which she struggled violently and cried in discomfort.

You felt like puking. The world was spinning, your ears rang, and all you could focus on was your only partner being held in the dirty hands of a stranger. "Let her go!" your voice broke several times as you screamed, but when you attempted to move, Lillie grasped your arm tightly.

The grunts laughed loudly and began sauntering away, allowing the raticate to drag Eevee along with them.

You collapsed to your knees, feeling tears running down your cheeks. A hole filled your chest in replacement of nausea, your body feeling heavier than lead. You could hear Lillie sobbing next to you. You felt yourself spiral into self-hatred, thinking of a million different outcomes had you been able to stop yourself from recklessly sending her out.

Your only Pokémon had just been stolen, and you did nothing to stop it.


	4. All Bark, no Bite

The shock was making you numb.

You hardly remember the walk from Malie Gardens to your hostel. The two of you slowly made your way back to the hostel where you collapsed on your bed and began to cry in the pillow. Your best friend sat next to you on the bed, running her fingers through your hair while waiting for you to calm down.

"It's going to be alright. We'll think of something," she hummed, patting your back slowly.

You had never felt so grief-stricken in your life. A mixture of self-loathing and anxiety drilled a hole in your chest, and your crying wouldn't stop for another half hour. When you felt utterly empty of tears, you lifted you head up to wipe your eyes. Lillie embraced you, petting your hair.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do any thing… If I had been braver…" she pulled away and clutched her skirt, holding her own tears. You shook your head and sat up next to her.

"They would have taken Vulpix too. It's my fault for thinking my untrained Pokémon could take on two. I jeopardized both you and Eevee. I'm so, so sorry Lillie," your voice hitched, and you felt like sobbing again but nothing came out, "I wish I could go back in time and let that terrible rat punch me. I deserve it,"

Lillie shook her head and held your shoulders "don't say that, please. We will think of a way to get Eevee back," for a moment, you believed her.

The events kept neurotically replaying through your head. Eevee was probably so scared and hurting from being held by the scruff. The possibility of her being sold on the black market to an irresponsible trainer or a collector to store in a P.C box made your stomach do summersaults. You stopped yourself from thinking about her being trapped in a dark place or being kicked around, as it was making the panic in your abdomen escalate.

"This really is my fault, Lill. I made my bed, now I have to sleep in it," you held your head, whimpering. Looking back on yourself, you were being rather pathetic but Eevee was the first real responsibility placed on your shoulders. You felt so attached to her, even if you had owned her for about half a month. Your parents entrusted a living being to you, and you went and got it stolen. It was practically a rookie mistake.

The thought of facing your parents made your heart twist. You had to get her back, even if it meant trekking across Ula'Ula by yourself. But it would be unjust to drag Lillie along, seeing as her Vulpix was a baby as well. You decided you didn't want to risk both of their lives.

"Let's think of a plan," she repeated, standing up, "Based on what we heard earlier, we can reason that they'll be on this island somewhere. The old lady mentioned Tapu Village, right? We should start there tomorrow morning,"

You glanced outside, seeing the faint glow of the streetlights and the dark skies. It would probably rain tomorrow.

Later that evening while curled up in bed, you continued to imagine Eevee in the worst possible circumstances. The image of the raticate aiming the Sucker Punch at you kept reeling, until you had to sit up and stop yourself and ground yourself with a few deep breaths.

You had to leave now and find her.

And Lillie wouldn't be coming with you.

You slowly crawled out of bed, leaning over to her side and checked her breathing. You whispered her name, which she replied to with quiet snoring. The digital clock read 11:32.

With great effort, you managed to pack away your belongings with minimum sound. In your hast, you didn't bother going over the mental list to make sure you had everything. Before you left, you found a pen and scribbled a note reading,

 _Dearest Lillie,_

 _I apologize for leaving you, but I can't leave Eevee. I don't want to endanger you or Vulpix._

 _Your's truly,_

 _(y/n)_

You clicked the button on your pager and made your way outside, placing your key on the desk. Nobody was around outside, the streets ominously quiet and wet from rain.

This time, an Altaria landed and folded its plush cloud-like wings for you to mount it. Climbing into the saddle, you fiddled with your pager as you were uncertain where on the island to go. You remembered the ladies mentioning something about Tapu Village. You told the Altaria to fly to the western side of Ula'Ula.

It took off a lot more gently and quietly than the Charizard. As you rose up, Malie City glistened with lights. In the distance, you could make out an ice-capped mountain top and a few other rolling hills surrounding it. It was too dark to make out anything else.

The flight was about an hour long. The Altaria had to stop and rest once before detouring around the mountain. You sort of wished it was lighter outside so you could see everything below you.

The Pokemon landed gently by a small house with a crest on the outside of it. Squinting to get a better look, it seemed to actually be a Police Station. What was it doing in the middle of nowhere?

Checking your map to see where the Altaria dropped you off, you noticed the closest town was to the North. According to Rotom, it was an hour walk by foot. You sighed, beating yourself up to not telling the Altaria to fly there instead.

You began walking down the road, which was nestled between a valley. On the left side, the hills were much smaller which occasionally opened to reveal the ocean. Thankfully there weren't many trees around for Pokémon to jump out of, but a few crackling sticks made you move faster.

A few spits of rain hit your face. You hadn't realized how cloudy it began to get. As you climbed a hill the path led you over, it revealed a huge, concrete wall. You gasped, realizing it was completely surrounding a facility. The rain began to hit harder and you realized you'd need shelter soon.

Shivering, you jogged towards the city and crouched behind a tree when voices and laughter hit your ears.

"Oh, em, gee. Apparently a group patrolling Malie Gardens for Plumes found a freaking shiny," the voice sounded like it belonged to a valley girl, "Do you know how much those things are worth, Jude? Like, no more ramen this week!" her laughter was like a snort, "Here's the kick though. Apparently they snatched it from, like, a lil rich kid. Said she was all pretty in brand-name clothes. You know what that means, right Jude?"

"Huh,"

"Ransom will be doubled,"

As you held yourself behind the tree, you felt something touch your hands. Something slimy.

Looking up, some sort of goopy, rainbow Pokemon was sliding down the tree, staring at you. Your heart sank when it let out a low, gurgling yell.

The grunts snapped up from their stations, looking at the tree where you hid. It seemed like one of their Pokémon had been hiding there.

You attempted to get up and run. You heard the sound of a Pokeball releasing something, followed by the grunts screaming to catch you. As you ran, a red and cream coloured Pokemon jumped from a bush, trapping you. Behind, the slimy one had a spider following next to it.

"Spinda, use Sucker Punch!" the Pokemon jumped up, and it's fist made contact with your mouth. You collapsed, holding your now bloody lip.

"Muk, smog her. Spinarak, tie her hands together," the valley-girl grunt commanded. A web spun around your wrist, pulling your hands from your face and behind your back. You yelped in pain as they were pulled tighter.

A haze from the Muk's smog filled your vision, and made you cough. It acted like an amnesia, because you couldn't recall the grunt take you to their base. Your memory began to clear as you were lead down a hall way, this time by a bunch of boys. They were all different ages, it looked. Most being teenagers, but some looked to be older.

The toughening silk hardened around your wrists made your hands go numb. On top of them being uncomfortably tied behind our back, the grunts aggressively yanked you around until you were thrown into a dark room. Before you could squirm into an upright position, one was pinning you and shoving a gag down your throat.

"No screaming, got it?" he growled. The weight lifted off you and the door slammed shut. Not only had your bag been taken away, but your lips were split and bleeding. You ran your tongue over your teeth, making sure none of them were broken. Thankfully they weren't. The haze finally cleared from your head. You must've been poisoned, because you couldn't recall how you got inside the building. You assumed you were somewhere behind the walls. A realization struck you; where was your purse? Your heart began beating faster hoping they wouldn't break Rotom or steal your wallet.

You managed to position yourself against the wall and attempted to stretch your arms. The restraints were making your shoulders stiff.

 _Just great_ , you thought. You mentally slapped yourself for not taking into account of getting caught. Had you really been so foolish as to believe you could just waltz in? _I'm probably more naïve than Hau_ , you thought bitterly.

Footsteps pattered past the door, some stopping and speaking in harsh whisper. You stayed in that position for about half an hour, wondering what they would do with you. Another sucker punch? Throw you into the ocean for the sharpedos? Probably about an hour later, just as you were nodding off, the door creaked open.

Instinctively recoiling, hands roughly grasped your arms and to your shock, one yanked your hair. The grunt wrestled you to a standing position and lead you over a few steps, where your legs met the sides of a mattress. Low, male voices filled your ears, some chuckling.

"What a cute little thing,"

"Fuck, check out that ass," a hand ran up and down your leg, and you recoiled at the touch. A ringing was growing in your head, the punch from earlier blooming into a small headache. You wanted to yell and kick them off you but as you began to squirm more hands threw you into the hard mattress. Hands groped their way around your short's loopholes along with the sounds of zippering behind undone. Their lustful breaths filled the air, chuckling lowly. A knot of fear twisted in your belly.

You tried to curl in on yourself, but this time more pairs of hands flattened you against the bed.

 _Arceus, please, let it to be done quickly…_

"What the hell is going on here?" a voice split the air, and the hands immediately released you. You curled up again, whimpering softly.

"Oh fuck it's Plumeria," one hissed and you felt weight lift off the mattress.

"Get the fuck outta here, you numbskulls," the voice belonged to the female. Footsteps raced out of the room and were replaced with muttering from the girl.

"Fucking idiots ripped your shorts," she hissed followed by a string of curse words.

"I'm gonna take the gag out, okay? Don't yell or anythin'," she added the last bit warningly. Gently, she pulled the knots apart and you felt your face relax. With blurry vision, you looked up as your eyes adjusted to the light to see a girl maybe about your age, with extravagant eye-makeup and shaved eyebrows. Where they would have been were lined with piercings.

Her hair was pulled into thin pink pigtails, and you noticed a dragon Pokémon tattoo on her exposed abdomen circling her navel. You didn't notice the black lizard standing behind her until it flicked its pink tongue at you. It stared at you through a slit eye, notching its head curiously.

"Stand up," she commanded. In a failed endeavour to listen, your legs had been shaking so violently that when you tried, you simply fell to your knees. The girl audibly sighed.

"Grab onto me. They're not coming back," you felt her arm wrap around your side, and you managed to stand this time, albeit leaning most of your weight on her.

She was unnaturally thin.

The lizard began walking on all fours, leading outside of the dark room. When you rounded the hallway, you gathered in your surroundings.

You appeared to be in a mansion. Rather, a rotting one. Wallpaper peeled from the corners where black mould grew, and cobwebs lined the ceilings. A chandelier lay shattered in a corner, the carpets torn and stained. There were holes in the walls, vases knocked over and painting either awry or slashed through. Among the rotting insides, various furniture was pushed in random, unbelonging places. A few grunts were sleeping on a couch that looked like it belonged in a dumpster. Murkrow perched on their heads, watching you curiously.

The girl pushed you towards what was probably once a beautiful staircase. Garbage lined the steps now, and a yungoos hissed as you passed by a half-eaten slice of pizza on one of the stairs.

The Pokémon eventually lead you to a window where you met glares from various grunts. These ones had their handkerchiefs pulled over their noses. The window was shattered and leading to the roof, the carpets surrounding soaked from the heavy raining. Were they making you walk the plank, now?  
"Outside. Now," she gave you a slight push, and you slowly climbed onto the roof. Rain immediately soaked you, forcing you to sneeze, "Other window. Follow Salazzle," the lizard jumped onto the roof, slither-walking on four legs to the next window where it climbed in.

The hallway it led to was briefly lit up by lightening where the Salazzle stood at the end next to a closed door.

"Wait in their, the boss will be back soon," she reached for the door knob, opening to reveal a large bedroom. A large chair sat on a pedestal with a flickering light shining almost comically on it. There was an unmade bed with shelves stocked with liquor above it. At the back was a chest, clothes scattered around a dresser with bong sitting on it, and an en-suit washroom. It was dirty, but charming in a twisted way.

"What time is it?" you ask as you step inside, shocked at how raspy your voice was. The girl turned her piercing gaze on you, arms crossed.

"About four in the morning. Don't ask me anything else,"

"Where's Eevee?"

She rolled her eyes and slammed the door shut, leaving you alone in the bedroom.

By now, your arms were tingling and your body was shivering from the wet clothes.

Although you admitted that your plan was foolish and selfish, you didn't quite imagine ending up this beat up and nearly molested. Perhaps being raised in such a sheltered life hadn't done many favours for your ignorance. Your mom always told you to look for the best in people, though. It didn't seem to do you much good at the present.

You stood for a few minutes, taking in the surroundings. Walking around the room, you noticed the dresser had a few gold chains on it, a lighter, and a tiny plastic bag of blue crystals. Squinting, you lean forward to get a closer look when you hear floorboards creak. It sounded like two people were arguing.

The door flew open, revealing Guzma.

"So you _were_ the boss all along," you frown, looking him up and down to confirm your suspicion. He was clad in a black hoodie and baggy sweats, and some expensive looking runners. Yeezy, probably.

"You just put that together now, doll? A for effort," he smirked. The girl from earlier stood behind him, arms crossed, "so, you come to discuss gettin' yer furball back? I don't wanna crush your little air-head, but it ain't gonna happen unless you fork over cash. Also," you notice he had been holding your purse, which he vigorously shook upside down making your possessions fall out noisily, "What gives? No cards 'er nothin'."

"I came to get Eevee back," you stated boldly, eyeing the mess of your stuff on the ground. You ignored his question about your credit cards, which with relief you realized you left at the hostel by accident.

His lips curled into a smile, revealing his platinum canine grills. He picked up the Dex and eyed it precariously before tossing it aside. You winced wondering if Rotom, presumably hiding inside, was hurt.

"I said it ain't gonna happen,"

You bit your injured lip lightly, not have the energy to argue back. Your head was beginning to feel like it was stuffed with cotton, your damp clothes making you shiver.

Plumeria took a step forward, her face twisted in a scowl. She nudged Guzma and notched her head to you. He rolled his eyes, shuffling around in his pockets for a flip-phone. He handed it to the slender girl, muttering something about her being difficult. He dug out an army knife from his other pocket, which he cut the stiff webs away from your wrists. You rubbed them sorely as blood rushed back to your arms.

"One call, got it. Tell you rich friend that you're here. You and Eevee are 500,000 yen if you wanna go" she growled. When you reached up to grab it, she jerked it away, "make it 1,000,000 yen. Cash,"

You frowned, but shakily began dialing for Lillie. You told yourself she wouldn't be dragged into this. You played with the thought of calling your mom, as it maybe it would have made sense to call your parents. But you decided you couldn't risk losing their trust forever and being on house-arrest for the rest of your life.

"Hello?" a groggy voice answered after the second last ring.

"Lillie?" you whispered, your chest feeling heavy with shame, "Lillie I-I'm in Po Town. I need 1,000,000 in cash. I'm so sorry," you began sniffling when the girl abruptly snatched the phone away from you.

"Bring anyone or tell a soul and you and the princess are fed to the Houndooms," she hung up, glowering first at you then Guzma.

"I found four of the grunts toying with her downstairs. If I didn't have that meeting you set me up to go to, I would have been able to babysit her for you. So she's your problem now. I can't trust those numskulls downstairs not to give into their primitive teenage urges. Seriously, reel those boys in, Guzma. They might be a bunch'a idiots but that doesn't mean they can't learn to respect women," she shoved the cell phone in his chest and left the room, her Salazzle letting out a soft hiss and following her.

You blink a few times, watching her swinging hips leave. Did she just defend you?

Guzma watched her leave through the window, scratching his undercut. A twinge of worry hit you when you saw the rain becoming heavier. The sound of pitter-pattering rain drummed the roof, a few drops leaking through and landing in pots. They were probably set there on purpose to catch the leaks.

"A'ight. Plumes is passing off her irresponsibility to me. Again."

You didn't respond to his comment. Or his joke. You weren't sure how serious this guy was. He let out an annoyed grunt, then shuffled to his dresser.

"… been out all night, don't got time…" he mumbled, fiddling with a shiny metal device.

"What was that?" you ask, frowning. Either you suddenly became invisible to him or he was just aloof. "Excuuuse me?"

"Fuck you're annoying," he scoffed, lifting his bong up and packing it with a few dried leaves. He turned to you briefly with the lighter in hand, the glassware held near his mouth, "said I been out all damn night and now I gotta watch you. I was lookin' forward to kickin' my feet up and munching out," he flicked the lighter and took a hoot. You watched curiously as the device bubbled and he exhaled a cloud of smoke. He was quiet for a moment before he took another. The air began to smell like a skuntank let go.

"Were you really up all night?" you asked, looking around for a place to sit. Judging by his annoyance, it seemed nobody was taking responsibility for taking care of you, as a hostage. You remembered the grunts mentioning something about impressing 'Plumes', so maybe you were technically her hostage. You weren't entirely certain how gangs worked, but this one seemed disorganized. What type of Team would allow their person of interest to be babysat by their leader? You found a cushion against the wall and decided to sit there.

He shot you a look then placed the bong on his dresser, "None of yer damn business," he gave you a once over, then flopped onto his bed with a sigh, "ain't you supposed to be afraid or somethin'?"

"Not of you, no," you stuck up your nose defiantly.

He sat up to look at you with his now bloodshot eyes, "okay so I saved ya once. Doesn't make me somebody safe to be around," he growled. For the first time that night, you smiled a little bit. His brows furrowed more at your gesture, "You think I'm funny 'er somethin'?

"So you're the boss of this huge gang, causing mischief and mayhem around Alola. Firstly, you're all bark and no bite," he jerked a bit at your comment before you continued, "Truth is, I wanted to investigate what you guys were up to. To find out your motive," you laced your fingers together, noticing one of your nails had broke. You frowned, "and get my only Pokemon back,"

He held himself up on his elbows, "I said you ain't getting the furball back till I got the cold cash in my hands,"

"I want to start training Pokémon," you blurted. For a moment Guzma looked surprised, then he got up and put his hands on his hips, looming over you menacingly. He had to be over six feet, at least, "Eevee's the only one I got,"

"You tryna mock me or somethin'?" he seethed through gritted teeth and you raised your hands in playful defense. His eye slightly twitched at your lightheartedness, "You went to that stupid academy and now yer probably going to some fancy-shmancy University. That's a little below your class, huh blue-blood? Training Pokémon is for thugs like me. You said it yourself,"

"Don't call me that,"

"That's what you are. You're society's sweetheart; I'm the leper,"

You took a deep breath, remembering your original train of thought, "Never mind my social status. I want to try experiencing something I have no idea about," maybe if you tried opening up to him, you could understand his motive for making Team Skull.

"Arceus," he hissed, slamming his door shut, "You think being a Pokémon Trainer is just some fun little pass-time? A cute game for your DS?" he was referring to the popular video game series kids played in elementary school. It got a lot of flack for painting training in a distorted way, like it was something positive, "We do it to survive, doll. It's the only hope at making a career out of what little lives we have. And yeah, I saw that PokeDex in your purse. Did you get it from Kukui? You really get every damn thing you ask for, don'tcha?"

He had began pacing in a growing fit. "You know the Professor?" you ask, making him snap up. He narrowed his eyes at you, pulling his lips tightly.

"None of your business," he growled.

"I was just wondering. He works for Aether you know,"

Guzma's shoulders suddenly tensed, "what you know about Aether?"

"Um well, my best friend's mom owns it,"

He stood quietly, grimacing. Gears began turning in his head and then he gave himself a face-palm, groaning, "of course she does. Guzma, what is wrong with you?" he shook his head with gritted teeth.

There was an abrupt flash of light followed by a roll of thunder that shook the mansion. Thunder had always frightened you as a child, making you jump up. You look up in embarrassment, trying to compose yourself.

Guzma cocked an eyebrow at you, "The princess is afraid of a little thunder?".

"I-I'm not. It's just a little odd, isn't it?" you fumble, "Alola is usually so sunny. So, I'm just not used to it," another flash of lightening lit up his room, and curled in with your head tucked between your knees. A smirk formed on Guzma's face.

"Aren't you blue-bloods more afraid of the collection agency that a little Tapu curse?"

You began covering your ears, shivering. He blinked a few times, pursing his lips in thought. A moment later you felt something soft flop on you.

"A blanket?" you asked, looking up from it. He was making his way back to his dresser, where he was fumbling around one of the drawers.

"Don't tell anyone, got it?"

"I mean, this is better than having my hands tied up and being thrown in a dark room-" there was another thunder clap which made you whimper and pull the blanket over your head.

"What's scarier than fear?" Guzma asked. You looked up in confusion. He twirled a Poke Ball on his index, "fear itself!" he pushed the ball on the Poke Ball, and a massive isopod hit the floor with a thud, kicking up some dust.

You screamed at the ugly sight.

Golisopod made a churring noise and looked at Guzma in confusion. Maybe he was expecting to see an opponent, not a crying girl.

"What? C'mon! Look, Golisopod is _protecting_ you from the thunder, get it?" he pointed at the giant bug, who was flicking its mouth antenna in your direction.

You heard the electric sound of the ball activating and dematerialize Golisopod. Then he shuffled through his dresser again, this time pulling out a Net Ball.

You had the blanket pulled over your whole body again, trying your best to pretend the thunder wasn't shaking the house. A small weight landed on your head.

Carefully moving the blanket aside, it landed on your head again. You looked up and saw two beady eyes looking down at you. You reached up, cupping the Pokémon between your hands and lowered it in front of you. It was sort of fuzzy and had a few pairs of wings, but it was certainly cuter than Guzma's other Pokémon.

"What is it?" you ask at it began rubbing itself on you, making chirping noises. You smiled a little.

"Masquerain," he grunted, flopping back onto his bed and turning over, "No more screamin'. I'm sleepin'. And he'll tell on you if you try to run," he warned, and you looked back down at the Pokémon. It was still trying to cuddle you.

You looked through the window, seeing it become progressively lighter outside despite the thunder storm. It was most likely dawn by now.

Guzma may have been acting tough in front of Plumeria, but it was like the moment she left he dropped his guard. Or maybe he was just high and not thinking properly. Whatever the reason, you blushed a little at the gesture of him giving you the blanket at his Pokémon to hold. Did he have any younger siblings? Where was he from? What was Team Skull's overall motive?

You frown a little when you remembered how rough the grunts treated you and Eevee. A pang hit your heart, but you didn't think it would have been wise to sneak out right now. The grunts seemed a lot more ruthless than Plumeria or Guzma.

You dozed off as the rain lightened up and orange rays of dawn flitted through the window, just for a moment.


End file.
